Ishwar Yogi laughed and said "Muthu! You are a highly educated man. I am having you as my secretary, expecting that you will give me creative and innovative ideas. Not for coming out with such lousy idea!."
Muthulingam knew that if Ishwar Yogi spoke with a laughter, it meant that he was angry at the person he was speaking to! So, he did not say anything further.
"There is forest land nearby. We can cut off the trees in five acres of that land and use that place for constructing buildings" said Ishwar Yogi.
"Swamiji! That is forest land. It belongs to the government. Construction of buildings won't be permitted there."
"The government has kept the land unused. So, we can take it. We can say that we are going to start a yoga school, construct a small building for the yoga school in a corner and use the rest of the land to construct the buildings we need. Tell the architect to prepare the plan. We have to start the construction soon."
"Swamiji! We need to get the building plan approved."
"We will first construct the buildings and then seek approval. We have our people in all the places, to do our bidding!" said Ishwar Yogi and laughed.
Muthulingam realized that this laughter did not result from Ishwar Yogi's anger but from his arrogant self-assurance that the government machinery was under his control.
About five acres of forest land were encroached. The encroached land was fenced and high-rise buildings were constructed in the forest land, after cutting off a large number of trees, defying opposition and protests from local people and environmental activists.
A number of animals living in that area were confused that the lands they have been using for dwelling and moving about were blocked and began to search for other places of abode nearby.
At one corner of the encroached land, a small make-shift building carrying the name board 'Ishwar School of Yoga' remained aloof and abandoned, while the other buildings buzzed with activity. Devotees both from within and outside the country flocked to listen to the lectures and discourses of Ishwar Yogi and on special occasions, to witness and enjoy his dancing with glamorous film stars
A new government that assumed office in the state after three years, by winning the assembly elections, issued a notice to the hermitage that the government was going to demolish the buildings constructed without approval and in violation of rules and take over the land encroached by the hermitage.
Ishwar Yogi approached the courts, praying for exemption from environmental rules, since his institution was a yoga school. With the central government filing an affidavit in support of Ishwar Yogi, the court quashed the notice issued by the state government.
"Did you see what happened? You preached to me that we shouldn't buildings on forest land. What do you say now?" Ishwar Yogi gloated to Muthulingam, rubbing him for the reservations he had expressed for the proposal.
'You are the one who preaches to others about ethics and morality. But you do things in violation of both government rules and principles of morality, unmindful of the harm being done to people as well as animals. Who am I to preach to you?' thought Muthulingam.
The lady reading the news in a television channel read the following news:
"This morning, a rogue elephant that entered the hermitage of Ishwar Yogi, lifted him by its trunk and threw him down with force. The Yogi suffered injuries in several parts of his body and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. The doctors said that the Yogi has suffered multiple fractures, some mild and some severe. The incident happened, when the Yogi was taking his usual morning walk inside the hermitage. Hearing his cries, several people rushed to the spot from the hermitage. Seeing the people coming out, the elephant ran away. Therefore, no one else was affected.
"Forest minister Vezhavendan told media persons that this incident justified the stand of the government that construction of buildings in forest land posed danger to animals living there. Quoting this incident of a rogue elephant driven out from its abode, attacking the head of the hermitage, the government would approach the court seeking permission to take over the forest land that belonged to the government, he added."
The newsreader paused with a smile and then switched to the next item in the news bulletin.
Section 2
Purity in Action
kadindha kadindhorAr seydhArkku avai thAm
mudindhAlum pIzhai tharum.
Verse 657
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